N E Online Magazine Issue 7 by Wayne Groves

Featuring

THE w o u l d BIGGEST f r e q u e n t l y FREE cMAGAZINE o c k u p a d ra w i nFOR g in sTHE o m e ra n d o m w a y or NORTH EAST a n o t h e r, a n d h a v e t o surreptitiously place ISSUE a t h#7 u m b APRIL o r s u c h l i2013 ke a c r o s s t h e o f fe n d i n g p a r t o f t h e d ra w i n g when presenting the art t o t h e c u s t o m e r. T h i s happened more times than I care to recall! On another occasion, I reduced a lady to t e a r s a f t e r d ra w i n g h e r with, in her own words, a “ m a s s i v e n o s e ”. ( I must admit, it doesn’t fe e l p a r t i c u l a r l y g o o d What has been your to elicit this reaction m o s t m e m o ra b l e from someone; but at moment so far? the same time, I often D ra w i n g A l a n S h e a r e r wonder why she was fo r a c h a r i t y a u c t i o n s i t t i n g fo r a c a r i c a t u r e ra n k s p r e t t y h i g h , b u t in the first place, if she just getting the inside was that sensitive about t ra c k i s w h e n I w o n h e r fe a t u r e s . ) T h e s e m y a w a r d s fo r ‘ B e s t d a y s , I ’m s o e x p e r i e n c e d L i ke n e s s ’ a n d ‘ B e s t in what I do the humour Pa r t y C a r i c a t u r e s ’ a t t h e and funny moments International Society g e n e ra l l y c o m e a b o u t of Caricature Artists’ t h r o u g h w h a t I ’m annual convention in putting down on paper – L a s Ve g a s i n 2 0 0 5 . I t and the reactions of the was my first year in crowd watching. attendance (with my g o o d p a l a n d fe l l o w Te l l u s 3 ra n d o m f a c t s a r t i s t M i ke C a r l o n ) a n d about yourself? it was a blast. Hanging 1.I love listening to out and mingling with C h r i s t m a s m u s i c y e a rmy artistic heroes round. Sad but true! left me tongue-tied at 2.I have a full-on times, and I spent most o b s e s s i o n w i t h N e w Yo r k of the week artistically C i t y : c u l t u r e , h i s t o r y, crippled by being in architecture... smitten the presence of such with the place. caricature royalty; 3 . I w a s o n ‘ T h e Pa u l however I seemed to O ’G ra d y S h o w ’ i n 2 0 0 8 , overcome that, going on presenting a customised to have a fantastic time c a r i c a t u r e p o r t ra i t t o and creating a gallery t h e m a n h i m s e l f. To p of pieces ultimately fe l l a ! deemed worthy by my W h e n y o u ’r e n o t peers. d ra w i n g h o w d o y o u l i ke to spend your time? Have you had any The usual, really: f u n n y / e m b a r ra s s i n g chilling out with my i n c i d e n t s w h i l s t d ra w i n g fiancée and some good someone? T V, r e a d i n g , c i n e m a , To o m a n y t o m e n t i o n ! running, drinking, gym In the early days (not necessarily in that o f A l t o n To w e r s I order). Nothing too anyone famous; I think h u m a n s a s a ra c e a r e a l l so unique and individual t h a t i t ’s a l m o s t irrelevant whether t h e y ’r e i n t h e p u b l i c eye or not. Having said that, I would have loved t o h a v e h a d a c ra c k at Steve Irwin when he was still around; I fo u n d – a n d s t i l l f i n d – h i s e n t h u s i a s m fo r l i fe u t t e r l y i n fe c t i o u s . C o m e t o t h i n k o f i t , I ’d l o v e to spend ten minutes in the presence of the Dalai Lama too.

Y E S M A R S I R H C N A COMEDI

I f y o u c o u l d d ra w anyone famous past or present who would it be and why? I don’t really have a m a s s i v e u r g e t o d ra w

Plus

IRON MAN 3 Preview Screen-con 13 Variety with Joe McElderry And More

We l c o m e N o t e . We l c o m e t o t h e A p r i l I s s u e o f N E , w e hope you all had a fantastic time over the Easter and you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t over done i t w i t h t h e E a s t e r E g g s o r t h e b o o ze haha. We l l w e h a v e b e e n v e r y b u s y d u r i n g March with loads coming up in April as well including some big charity events that we hope you will get behind and support including the big Golf event and even the chance to meet Iron Man at the midnight screening of Iron Man 3 at Cineworld in Boldon, so we hope to see you all there! As always, if you have something you want to see in a future issue then d o n â&#x20AC;&#x2122; t fo r g e t t o d r o p u s a n e m a i l t o contact@neonlinemagazine.com Till next time Ta ke c a r e Wa y n e

EDITOR Wayne Groves wayne@neonlinemagazine.com DESIGNER Joseph Archer www.josephphilliparcher.co.uk archer.joe@neonlinemagazine.com CONTRIBUTORS Ian Berry Photographer www.ianberry.co.uk info@ianberry.co.uk

Website Greg Wyllie BA (Hons) www.evocreative.co.uk info@evocreative.co.uk SPONSORS Cineworld Boldon www.cineworld.co.uk The Sage Gateshead www.thesagegateshead.org Ocean Beach Pleasure Park www.oceanbeach.co.uk Quasar Elite South Shields www.quasarsouthshields.co.uk For all queries or if you would like to feature or advertise in NE Magazine email contact@neonlinemagazine.com Unless stated otherwise all competition entries should be sent to win@ neonlinemagazine.com Plus you can catch up with us online for news, events, blogs, competitions and more at www.neonlinemagazine.com Follow us on Facebook - http://www. facebook.com/pages/N-E-OnlineMagazine/248245728604190 join us on twitter @NEOnlineMag

Greame Baty Photographer www.facebook.com/ GJBPerformancePhotography g.j.baty@gmail.com Ant Clennan http://www.facebook.com/ant.clennan http://wwwsouthtynesidekettlebells. co.uk

What has been your m o s t m e m o ra b l e moment so far? D ra w i n g A l a n S h e a r e r fo r a c h a r i t y a u c t i o n ra n k s p r e t t y h i g h , b u t just getting the inside t ra c k i s w h e n I w o n m y a w a r d s fo r ‘ B e s t L i ke n e s s ’ a n d ‘ B e s t Pa r t y C a r i c a t u r e s ’ a t t h e International Society of Caricature Artists’ annual convention in L a s Ve g a s i n 2 0 0 5 . I t was my first year in attendance (with my g o o d p a l a n d fe l l o w a r t i s t M i ke C a r l o n ) a n d it was a blast. Hanging out and mingling with my artistic heroes left me tongue-tied at times, and I spent most of the week artistically crippled by being in the presence of such caricature royalty; however I seemed to overcome that, going on to have a fantastic time and creating a gallery of pieces ultimately deemed worthy by my peers.

would frequently c o c k u p a d ra w i n g i n s o m e ra n d o m w a y o r a n o t h e r, a n d h a v e t o surreptitiously place a t h u m b o r s u c h l i ke a c r o s s t h e o f fe n d i n g p a r t o f t h e d ra w i n g when presenting the art t o t h e c u s t o m e r. T h i s happened more times than I care to recall! On another occasion, I reduced a lady to t e a r s a f t e r d ra w i n g h e r with, in her own words, a “ m a s s i v e n o s e ”. ( I must admit, it doesn’t fe e l p a r t i c u l a r l y g o o d to elicit this reaction from someone; but at the same time, I often wonder why she was s i t t i n g fo r a c a r i c a t u r e in the first place, if she was that sensitive about h e r fe a t u r e s . ) T h e s e d a y s , I ’m s o e x p e r i e n c e d in what I do the humour and funny moments g e n e ra l l y c o m e a b o u t t h r o u g h w h a t I ’m putting down on paper – and the reactions of the crowd watching. Te l l u s 3 ra n d o m f a c t s about yourself? 1.I love listening to C h r i s t m a s m u s i c y e a rround. Sad but true! 2.I have a full-on o b s e s s i o n w i t h N e w Yo r k C i t y : c u l t u r e , h i s t o r y, architecture... smitten with the place. 3 . I w a s o n ‘ T h e Pa u l O ’G ra d y S h o w ’ i n 2 0 0 8 , presenting a customised c a r i c a t u r e p o r t ra i t t o t h e m a n h i m s e l f. To p fe l l a ! W h e n y o u ’r e n o t d ra w i n g h o w d o y o u l i ke to spend your time? The usual, really: chilling out with my fiancée and some good T V, r e a d i n g , c i n e m a , running, drinking, gym (not necessarily in that order). Nothing too

CHRIS RAMSEY

ave you had any VARIETY WITHHf uJOE CAPTAIN JACK’S n n y / e m b a r ra s s i n g14 McELDERRY isnocmi deeonntes?w h i l s t d ra w i n g PIRATE PARTYS

I f y o u c o u l d d ra w anyone famous past or present who would it be and why? I don’t really have a m a s s i v e u r g e t o d ra w

To o m a n y t o m e n t i o n ! In the early days o f A l t o n To w e r s I

THE BALL BREAKERS

SCREEN-CON 13

Have you had any IRON MAN PREVIEW GOLF EVENT f u n n y / e m b a r ra s s i n g 28

I f y o u c o u l d d ra w anyone famous past or present who would it be and why? I don’t really have a m a s s i v e u r g e t o d ra w

23 URBAN WAVE

i n c i d e n t s w h i l s t d ra w i n g someone? To o m a n y t o m e n t i o n ! In the early days o f A l t o n To w e r s I

VICTORIA DARBY

Hi Chris and welcome to NE Magazine, for the few readers who must be living in a cave somewhere and don’t know who you are how about giving th em a quick l ow- down o n yourself? - Hello! Can’t help but think I’m writing your interview introduction for you here, oh well… I’m a stand-up comedian from South Shields and I’m also a bit of an actor now and then… but mainly a comedian… that might not come across as well as it should in print form, but I am. So there.

a South Shields bar recently, how are you finding this, does it put you off going out? - Not at all. Any person in that position who has been on TV or whatever and people want photos (I’m trying my best not to say celebrity here!) who pretends they hate the attention is a liar. You don’t go for a career on TV because you don’t want anyone to notice you. As long as I’m not eating or having a shit when you want a photo then it’s no problem at all… I meant, like on the toilet, not just in the middle of the dancefloor.

At the moment it’s hard not seeing you on the TV when we switch it on as you’re everywhere, but what has been the highlight for you so far? - Not everywhere though am I? If you turn on QVC and I’m selling a frying pan, just assume you’ll find me floating face down in a river very soon. The highlight for me so far was probably being in Hebburn. Since starting comedy I always wanted to try my hand at being in a sitcom too so I was over the moon to do one with my mate and so close to my heart, and I got to work with Vic Reeves.

Have you had any weird fan requests or incidents? - Not really. The odd person will show up to a gig with my face on a T-Shirt, or bake me a cake, or send me a dead animal in the post but other than that it’s just photos and autographs. A little kid in Hebburn when we were filming asked me to sign his micro scooter… that was a bit weird.

I know you had a bit of a crazy time with fans wanting pics and autographs when you were having a few drinks in

As well as being a bit of a regular on Celebrity Juice, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and 8 out of 10 Cats you are now starring in the North East based sitcom Hebburn, how did that come about? - My mate and fellow comedian Jason Cook decided to write a sitcom about the town he was from, Hebburn,

and he actually wrote me a little side part which he named after me. But when it came to being made the BBC asked me to read for the main character, and when I got it, Jason took the part that he’d written for me! It came about so gradually that I didn’t really realise the enormity of being lead role in a BBC2 sitcom until I saw the advert on TV. I nearly passed out. How has the response for Hebburn been so far? - Overwhelmingly positive. And we just won Best Drama at the RTS North awards too. And we’ve got a second series! You are now embarking on your biggest tour to date, how do you feel about this? - Yeah incredible! It’s an extension of my last tour, Feeling Lucky. I did 60+ dates in 2012 but the demand for tickets was so high and people enjoyed the show so much that I’m doing another 40 odd dates this year in much bigger venues. I can’t wait to get back out on the road. Are there any venues on the tour that you are looking forward to playing or any you’re quite nervous about? - The Theatre Royal in Newcastle. I absolutely can’t wait. I used to watch panto there when I was a kid. I’m

I f y o u c o u l d d ra w anyone famous past or present who would it be and why? I don’t really have a m a s s i v e u r g e t o d ra w

scared and excited in equal measures. Who is the craziest person to work with, Vic Reeves or Keith Lemon? - Oh definitely Keith! Vic is like a mischievous kid sometimes but Keith is like that same kid with a belly full of sugar and a fist full of new swear words his older brother has taught him. Have you got any gossip you can share with us since your now moving amongst the celebrity circles? - Well, keep this on the down low, but I hear Dawn French and Lenny Henry got divorced… When you’re not working what do you like to do to relax? - Play on my Xbox or PS3, watch films, watch TV series or just go out for a few pints with me mates. Standard stuff really Where is your favourite place in the North East? - Depends what I’m up for doing really… I actually have no idea… Nandos? If you could work with anyone past or present who would it be and why? - I’d love to host a gig and announce Billy Connolly onto the stage. That would be my dream.

Any names you can point out as one to watch for the future? - Carl Hutchinson, Chris Stokes, Rhys James. What advice would you give to anyone wanting to get started in stand-up? - Be prepared to travel, a lot. Tell us your favourite joke? - You’ve seen me do stand up, I do stories not jokes, your word count would be fucked if I did one of them. Come see me live. Where can people follow you and keep up to date with the world of Chris Ramsey? - Twitter, facebook and my website. Join my mailing list too.

What can we expect from you during 2013? - More of the same. Tour, Hebburn series 2 and I’m also filming a pilot for my new TV show all about social media. Anything you would like to add? - I’d like to add 2 and 2… that’s 4. I’m showing off now. Thanks for taking the time to speak to us and we will hopefully see you soon, in fact the next time you’re out for a drink in South Shields come and see me in Life of Riley and the drinks will be on me - That was in writing yes… everyone saw that? I’ll have a gallon of Grey Goose and a Magnum of Moet to go please.

Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? - I heal faster than any other human - I have metal grafted to my bones and I have claws - I’m a liar For tickets and information please visit the website: http://chrisramseycomedy.com/

I f y o u c o u l d d ra w anyone famous past or present who would it be and why? I don’t really have a m a s s i v e u r g e t o d ra w

An outstanding evening of heart felt pride… Last month saw Popstar to Operastar and X Factor winner, Joe McElderry, along with a host of fans; celebrities, friends and family alike walk the red carpet in aid of Variety, the Children’s Charity. Fans from all over the country came together at the Newcastle-Gateshead’s Hilton Hotel to show their support for Joe McElderry and one of the region’s biggest children’s charities. The prestigious ‘A Tribute to Joe McElderry’ event celebrated Joe’s career so far and saw the local celebrity presented with the highly acclaimed Variety Silver Heart. The Silver Heart, sponsored by The Dunes of South Shields, is the highest accolade awarded

by Variety, and was bestowed to Joe by Denise Welch and Tim Healy for his outstanding contribution to the music industry and for services to the community. Since winning X Factor, Joe has been actively involved in his local community charities and he is also the North East Patron of Teenage Cancer Trust. 21 year old Joe is officially the youngest person to ever receive the greatly respected Variety Silver Heart. Variety, the Children’s Charity improves the lives of children by raising funds for the sick, disabled and disadvantaged. Variety’s aim is to realise the hopes and dreams of the children that are afflicted with sickness, disability and disadvantages in their pursuit to lead as normal life as possible. They also provide

fun days out, specialised wheelchairs, hospital facilities, wheelchair friendly ‘Sunshine’ coaches and run youth clubs in disadvantaged areas. This event is just one of the many planned for 2013 as funding is constantly required for Variety, the Children’s Charity to continue its life changing work. Guests were welcomed to the event with a glamorous Champagne and canapés reception, closely followed by a four course dinner before Joe delighted fans with a spectacular performance, which was eagerly anticipated by all in attendance as his set list had been kept completely secret until he arrived on stage. Joe performed a number of hits including Don’t Stop Believin’, Time to Say Goodbye and The Climb. The North East star posed for photographs with excited fans

and really gave supporters a night to remember. Stars including Sir Cliff Richard, Alan Shearer and Cheryl Baker paid on-screen tributes to Joe throughout the evening highlighting Joe’s impressive career. The spirit of giving was certainly alive during the evening, as Joe generously donated signed memorabilia, merchandise and a pair of VIP tickets to his next live performance. Fans dug deep to bid for the chance to meet their idol, as well as bidding on other generously donated money can’t buy items including a VIP package to the set of Loose Women as personal guests of Denise Welch which due to phenomenal demand increased to eight people and raised an impressive £8,000. Tony Thornton, Chairman of Variety, the Children’s Charity

(Northern Region) tells us: “It was great to see local businesses come onboard to support the work we do in the Northern Region. All funds raised from the event will be put back in to the North East to help sick, disabled and disadvantaged children better their way of life, and we think that we’ve made around £25K from the event, which will all go towards helping the children in our region.” Prior to the gala dinner, Joe presented the children of St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School with the keys to a brand new Sunshine Coach at the Hilton Hotel. The vehicle, generously donated by Middleton Enterprises, is tailored to the needs of the recipients with the emphasis on safety and comfort. The children were overwhelmed by the donation, and particularly by the opportunity to meet

their idol. Fans also gathered at the event bearing gifts and flowers, to catch a glimpse of the local star. The Northern Branch of the Variety club is based here in the North East and is responsible for a wide area from the borders of Scotland, across to Cumbria and down past Teesside. To find out more about the charity’s valuable work locally and nationwide, visit the website www.variety.org. uk/north.html alternatively, like Variety-Northern Region on Facebook or follow @ VarietyGB on Twitter. You can give to Variety, the Children’s Charity, by texting JAMV99 plus the amount to 70070. All money received will go directly to disabled and disadvantaged children in the North East.

o f To m R i c h m o n d d u r i n g the late nineties. A r e g u l a r s l o t d ra w i n g fo r the student magazine ensued, alongside a d e g r e e p o r t fo l i o that was celebrity c a r i c a t u r e b a s e d fo r the most part. Upon completing my degree I was at something of a crossroads, not really knowing what to do; then one day a noticed a n ‘A R T I S T S WA N T E D ’ a d online, posted by a guy c a l l e d N i g e l C o o ke w h o owned a stand at Alton To w e r s R e s o r t . ( N i g e l ’s since become a good friend.) One thing led to a n o t h e r, a n d I s p e n t t h e n e x t fo u r y e a r s s o a k i n g up the summer season and learning the ropes a c as t uwr h i satt i nitno t h e Wshao c adroi e t haen db?a r g a i n . b J i m - G u i ta r & Vo c a l s , I s te t h aGt re t heen oBnalsys k&i nVo d o Pe c af l s i l l uMsat ra o ni /l sdora & tt yt i W n wDirnugm s you do? I n hae re w o r dd,i dy e s t. hI e ’ve name W b bel ef ro d im n ?o t h e r r e l a t e d cdoa m f iheel d s Ionvte e rn stiht e T y y eoafr s , Tahte v aorni o u isc tG im G ad roeos veex p l o r i n g c h a ra c t e r d e s i g n , l o g o d eoswi g n d , iadn d yo r eua l i satlilc g e t H d rarwtei ndga. sHao w e ?r I sta b aenv d ke e p acl o We l mj ai nmgmbeadc k at to t h e t hues ke f ars c t tahta t TI haem B a u r to n B c aorui cs ae t B uu r irsntoaptf iheel da.r t , H a n d t h i s i s h o w I ’d l i ke t o hbaet d r eomyo em e dpw h e? n W u bgeurys l ay I ’ v e gdoon em( h We oo stpl e y f uol lryi g i n a l n y,r i aml a n yw iyteha r s af r o fe mw m a te . I love the notion cnoovwe)rs of looking at the world i n haa ts lhi gahs tbl ye es nkeyo w eu d W r ,m o st e xeam g goera rabtl e d w m maoy, m ewnhti c hto I af ite n ds o nfa l yr ?i n c a r i c a t u r e . d T ho i sp il se wrehm y eI m i nbteerni d Pe n gt ot h e s thi o c kr uw t h “i Tw t foor Ttiht ’s e , One C s ito l oonl ge h H aa nu d l .A H e a r t b e a t ” W h a t w o u l d yo u r r i d e r b e i f yo u w e re p l ay i n g a I fuygoeug ci go?u l d d ra w h a n ynot o n ehigh f a mmaintainence, ous past or I’m pu r et s eI ’nl lt w h to w d tiht ebr e b be t hoeu l o ’s a nodu lw w d hpyl?u m p fo r “ B u rg e r I idnogn ’m t er e tasl l yB uhral vees qau e i n K mB a sre s iw v e ruy r”g e t o d ra w a

anyone famous; I think h u m a n s a s a ra c e a r e a l l so unique and individual t h a t i t ’s a l m o s t irrelevant whether t h e y ’r e i n t h e p u b l i c eye or not. Having said that, I would have loved t o h a v e h a d a c ra c k at Steve Irwin when he was still around; I fo u n d – a n d s t i l l f i n d – h i s e n t h u s i a s m fo r l i fe u t t e r l y i n fe c t i o u s . C o m e t o t h i n k o f i t , I ’d l o v e to spend ten minutes in the presence of the Dalai Lama too. What has been your m o s t m e m o ra b l e moment so far? D ra w i n g A l a n S h e a r e r fo r a c h a r i t y a u c t i o n ra n k s p r e t t y h i g h , b u t t gue tctoi nugl dt ht erav i nesli dbea c k Ij u f syo itnra tcikmies w wh e n Iwwoounl d yo u y aw tmrave l ab radcsk fo t or a‘nBde swt hy ? L iro kebnaebslsy’ Aanncdi e‘ n Bte sGtre e c e , P Pa a rri u c amt ,uTr h e es ’Wo at m t heen F i nret yd eCco no t eke r nda t i loi ke n a l SGooc d i edteys s e s lI o on f dC a Ir i ccaotuulrde A r tbi as tte s ’ my a de ah ne no u rayl c o fn v eNni ct e i o npieno p l e T L ansd Ve ns2 0 0 5 . I t a A . .g.ahso li e was my first year in nd t hl ay m yw i t h Iaft t eyo u a nc coeu l(dw i p go o dnpeailnatnhde fe l lrol w a nyo wo d , p a st a r t ipsre t M C ahrol owo n ) ualndd i t o s einke t w i tewaansd awbhy l a?s t . H a n g i n g b o luto t na nJ d g ewniituhs E o hm n i. n . .g. .l .i .n.G my artistic heroes l e fhta m - t iueldd a yo t u W t ea dt o v incgeu ewo t iim I snpee nwa t mnot si nt g g vee st, oa nadnyo o f sta t h er twae ebka nadr t ui spt?i c a l l y to c r ieptp lya e dSb. .y. b “G Toegi ne gt hienr a n d t heet ptrhees eF.n.c.e oouft s u G a cnhd D o Icta”r i c a t u r e r o y a l t y ; however I seemed to o vheer re c o mi se yo t h autr, gfav o io nu g roi te n W t ol ahc a tim p e vien at hfea nNtoa rstthi c Ea st e ? ann d to c rpe a i n g. . .a. . g en r ys e e Po P ti ke . aI lcl a oo f tphi e cfo e so tubl tailm l yu n d s b l a tgero o nr tdh yd obw y nmpy a st sdeeee m B leydt hw a p eeearrs s .i d e . w H a v e ’s y oyour u h aaims d a nfor y 2013? What f u nenpyi n/ e Ke gm i tb“aBrira g ,sHsai n i rgy & I n i n cui rd e n t sc ew”.h. i.l.s. .tc d Yo Fa o ra v ew r tiinngg s oem e ?o u r C u l t “ C h u rc h p o peloento Tof oT m mi e t iro o no!v e ” o h ea nGyotnoa d c nG I na itshi n e ge a rA l ywa d are y sn e s s R of f A t o nTe Tostwi celres I S h av i n g “oM ale

would frequently c o c k u p a d ra w i n g i n s o m e ra n d o m w a y o r a n o t h e r, a n d h a v e t o surreptitiously place a t h u m b o r s u c h l i ke a c r o s s t h e o f fe n d i n g p a r t o f t h e d ra w i n g when presenting the art t o t h e c u s t o m e r. T h i s happened more times than I care to recall! On another occasion, I reduced a lady to t e a r s a f t e r d ra w i n g h e r with, in her own words, a “ m a s s i v e n o s e ”. ( I must admit, it doesn’t fe e l p a r t i c u l a r l y g o o d to elicit this reaction from someone; but at the same time, I often wonder why she was s i t t i n g fo r a c a r i c a t u r e in the first place, if she A . .n. .s. i t i v e a b o u t wbaus steh”.a.t. .s. e thhero u gaht utrhe es . )mTehdeisuem o f r fe sdoany g e n tsiot l e xdp e“rSi ehnav s , I ’m ced By The l lo” .t.h. .e. . h . umour in w a tBIe d and funny moments W s hlol yu lcdo m p eeo a pb l eo uc o g ehy n e ra t me a ste u? t hnrdo lui g h n w ht oa tyo I ’m We i ted os w o nng o s na bpoaupte r – p u t twi nr g h od w tyo . .e. . an h eu rre e aacl tl yi ofe n se lo?f. .t. h b c ruotwadreweait chheirn g . a ) I l l e ga l b Te) lIlmum s o3ra ral n d o m f a c t s ca )b o nu ot p hy yo u sr isceal lfl?y p o s s i b l e w 1 .iIt hl oovuet lai sttra e nnisnpgl atnot C h r i s t m a s m u s i c y e a rW r ohuenre d . cSaand pbeuot ptlreu efo! l l o w yo 2 . Iuh/ ke a v e pa f u lpl - o nt o d a te w o bi tshe syo siu o ?n w i t h N e w Yo r k Fo C i tlyl o: w c u l tuusr e ,o n h i s tFoBr y,a n d laoroc h k i t eocut tu r efo . . .r s mt h i tet e nE P cwoi n n ei n p g l atchee. s e n s i t i v e t htati h a 3n . IdwEam s ootni v ‘eT. .h. e. Pa u l ”OS’G h era ’sdO y nS.h. .o. .w. .’. .i n 2 0 0 8 , Ip’m r e sOeff n t”.i n. .g. . a c u s t o m i s e d ”c Fa Gri e mm C liut et”. a r irctant u p oer at ra o..... ”C o cm k aOnn hLiemgs’se”l f. To p the a fenldl a “! D o n ’ t Yo u Re e m M e M Wo hm e nmyao”u ’r e n o t d ra w i n g h o w d o y o u l i ke to spend your time? The usual, really: chilling out with my fiancée and some good T V, r e a d i n g , c i n e m a , running, drinking, gym (not necessarily in that order). Nothing too

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Last year my daughter told us she wanted a pirate themed party to celebrate her 4th birthday. I though it was a little strange that a girl so young would wish for such a thing but never the less we agreed and I being clean shaven most of my adult life started growing a moustache and beard. I bought a cheap Jack Sparrow wig and a Disney costume to wear on Neve’s big day. A treasure hunt around our house and a few pirate party games later our daughters party was over but as our guests left they commented how much fun their children had had and how I should start a business doing pirate party’s. A year on and Neve is nearly 5 and like it or not she has a dad that puts on a Jack Sparrow costume quite a few times per month and goes off to birthday parties and events all over the North East. Bringing pirate fun and games to young and old alike. We offer face painting, balloon bending and treasure hunts. There is also a variety of original pirate party games, these are old games that have had a new life breathed into them, pin the patch on the pirate, flip the flounder, musical mortal blow, crack the Kracken and my favourite, a game called cannon ball. This is a tongue twister with a prize or forfeit and it’s great fun. The future is starting to look bright with bookings from Nexus, The Marriott Hotel, As You Like It, in Jesmond, and Liberty Browns in Sunderland, We are also appearing at the Mayors charity ball in South Shields and Cancer Connections faith hope and love day, as well as a guest appearance at Whitby pirate day. We hope to also start to make school visits as pirates are on the national curriculum, offering several different educational packages. A golden age of piracy, a history of the Hollywood pirates, pirate arts and crafts, pirate fun and games and life aboard a sailing ship, a first hand account. Hopefully picked up by the school systems, my life as Jack Sparrow will not just be on weekends. So if you wish to book a pirate party or a school visit or a great looking Jack Sparrow and Will Turner then look no further than Captain Jacks Pirate Party’s.We have full enhanced CRB checks and public liability insurance, so we are good to go. Interested contact Colin Fortune on 07882633143 or contact captainjackspiratepartys.co.uk

www.cineworld.com o f To m R i c h m o n d d u r i n g the late nineties. A r e g u l a r s l o t d ra w i n g fo r the student magazine ensued, alongside a d e g r e e p o r t fo l i o that was celebrity c a r i c a t u r e b a s e d fo r the most part. Upon completing my degree I was at something of a crossroads, not really knowing what to do; then one day a noticed a n ‘A R T I S T S WA N T E D ’ a d online, posted by a guy c a l l e d N i g e l C o o ke w h o owned a stand at Alton To w e r s R e s o r t . ( N i g e l ’s since become a good friend.) One thing led to a n o t h e r, a n d I s p e n t t h e n e x t fo u r y e a r s s o a k i n g up the summer season and learning the ropes as a caricaturist into the bargain. Is that the only kind of i l l u s t ra t i o n / d ra w i n g you do? In a word, yes. I’ve dabbled in other related fields over the years, at various times exploring c h a ra c t e r d e s i g n , l o g o design, and realistic d ra w i n g . H o w e v e r I ke e p c o m i n g b a c k t o the fact that I am a caricaturist at heart, a n d t h i s i s h o w I ’d l i ke to be remembered when I’ve gone (hopefully m a n y, m a n y y e a r s f r o m now). I love the notion of looking at the world i n a s l i g h t l y s ke w e d , e x a g g e ra t e d w a y, w h i c h I find only in caricature. This is why I intend to s t i c k w i t h i t fo r t h e long haul.

I f y o u c o u l d d ra w anyone famous past or present who would it be and why? I don’t really have a m a s s i v e u r g e t o d ra w

and coordination. Screen Conventions has been established for over a year and the 4th May event in North Shields is our first big event. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle with a thousand pieces, but very satisfying when the pieces start falling into position.

Screen-Con 13 Hi Alan and welcome to NE Online Magazine, so how about you start off by telling our readers a bit about you? Thanks for having us. The magazine seems to be going from strength to strength and we’re glad to be featured. I’m a movie fan first and foremeost. I love all genres of film, but particularly sci-fi, fantasy and horror. I’ve been a movie prop collector and maker for many years and an avid convention attendee around the country. I’ve also been a costumer with the Rebel Legion and other groups, organised movie prop exhibitions, fan conventions and generally indulged my movie passions wherever possible. My wife and I also run a project for adults with learning disabilities, I’m very passionate about that too. Now your the guy behind Screen-Con, for those still in the dark could you explain what Screen-Con is? Screen-Con is a new scifi, fantasy and pop-culture convention for the north-east region. The idea behind it was really, to take a leap

of faith and bring a fantastic event to our region, featuring celebrity guests, costumers, some amazing traders from all over the country something that would appeal equally to enthusiasts and families, hopefully something for everyone, a great day out. So how did you end up doing Screen-Con? Well, having travelled for years all over the country to meet my sci-fi heros at these kind of events, it occured to me that nothing was happening locally. There are some excellent singlegenre events that occur in Newcastle, but no really big multi-genre events which would bring fans from lots of different franchises together - Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Aliens, Predator, Anime...so Screen-Con came out of that concept, really. How much work goes into these kind of events? A lot more than I bargained for! Seriously, it is a huge undertaking and it requires a great deal of planning, communications

The popularity of shows like The Big Bang Theory and all the hit superhero movies have really helped shake the stigma of geeky anorak that would have usually been attached to events like this, how does that feel? I think that’s true. Geek is chic. The old fashioned idea of anoraks at conventions has been blown out of the water by the popularity of these movies and shows. For anyone who grew up as part of the Star Wars generation, we have a natural love of scifi anyway, but I think society has moved on to embrace scifi and pop culture in a massive way. Take Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy for example - any genre which sweeps the board at the Oscar’s and is pretty much universally loved proves

that there is an inner geek in everyone. People in every walk of life love sci-fi and fantasy. It’s a wonderful form of entertainment and more often than not, the stories shine out with optimism and hope, both very useful attributes in these challenging times. People really embrace these ideas and find a great deal of positivity from their love of these kind of movies and shows. That can only be a good thing. Being a huge geek myself I really cant wait for this event but why should the average Joe attend? Aside from getting to meet Sylvester McCoy, Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) and all our other celebrity guests, Screen-Con is going to be an awesome day out for all the family. We have got loads of activities planned for young and old, ensuring that there will not be a dull moment. It’s going to be a lot of fun and a very memorable event for everyone who attends. Because this is a new concept locally, we’ve already attracted people

who have never been to a sci-fi convention before. So it will also be the chance to meet new people and be part of something original and exciting for the region. How hard has it been for you to get the celebrity guests that you have for this event? It takes a bit of coordinating. Luckily, I’ve met several of our guests at various shows over the years, so had that to draw upon. We’re delighted with our line up for this, the first Screen-Con event. If you could get anyone past or present as a guest who would it be and why? That’s a difficult one...I’d probably have to say Peter Cushing. I wish Peter was still with us, he would be an amazing guest! Doctor Who, Dracula, Frankenstein, Star Wars....a true legend. What has been the biggest challenge for this event? Probably promotion and getting the word out there. We want this to be an amazing event for the north east so the more people who know about it, the better. We’ve worked hard on that aspect. Tell us 3 random facts about yourself? I created a set of replica Omen daggers for film director Richard Donner. Won the Evening Chronicle battle of the bands in 2008 with my band ‘The Mojitos’. Likes pickled onion Monster Munch filled with primula cheese spread.

What is your favourite film? Jaws. I really love this movie, I must have watched it hundreds of times. What is your favourite tv show? At the moment, The Walking Dead. It’s a great show. What is your favourite book? Anything by James Herbert or Steven King. What can we hope to see in the future from Screen-Con? We’re planning Screen-Con as an annual event for the north-east. We hope to go from strength to strength and make the event something to look forward to every year! We also have some interesting horror and sci-fi events in the planning stages. Where can people buy tickets or keep up to date with future events and announcements? Our website www.screencon.com - tickets are available now from our online store. People can also keep up to date with the latest news and events via our Facebook page. Is there anything you would like to add? Just to say, thanks for having us. We look forward to seeing you on 4th May! Well thanks for taking to time to talk to us an we will see you at Screen-Con, May the 4th be with you

I f y o u c o u l d d ra w anyone famous past or present who would it be and why? I don’t really have a m a s s i v e u r g e t o d ra w

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Have you had any f u n n y / e m b a r ra s s i n g i n c i d e n t s w h i l s t d ra w i n g someone? To o m a n y t o m e n t i o n ! In the early days o f A l t o n To w e r s I

I f y o u c o u l d d ra w anyone famous past or present who would it be and why? I don’t really have a m a s s i v e u r g e t o d ra w

anyone famous; I think h u m a n s a s a ra c e a r e a l l s o uwww.cineworld.com nique and individual t h a t i t ’s a l m o s t irrelevant whether t h e y ’r e i n t h e p u b l i c eye or not. Having said that, I would have loved t o h a v e h a d a c ra c k at Steve Irwin when he was still around; I fo u n d – a n d s t i l l f i n d – h i s e n t h u s i a s m fo r l i fe u t t e r l y i n fe c t i o u s . C o m e t o t h i n k o f i t , I ’d l o v e to spend ten minutes in the presence of the Dalai Lama too. What has been your m o s t m e m o ra b l e moment so far? D ra w i n g A l a n S h e a r e r fo r a c h a r i t y a u c t i o n ra n k s p r e t t y h i g h , b u t just getting the inside t ra c k i s w h e n I w o n m y a w a r d s fo r ‘ B e s t L i ke n e s s ’ a n d ‘ B e s t Pa r t y C a r i c a t u r e s ’ a t t h e International Society of Caricature Artists’ annual convention in L a s Ve g a s i n 2 0 0 5 . I t was my first year in attendance (with my g o o d p a l a n d fe l l o w a r t i s t M i ke C a r l o n ) a n d it was a blast. Hanging out and mingling with my artistic heroes left me tongue-tied at times, and I spent most of the week artistically crippled by being in the presence of such caricature royalty; however I seemed to overcome that, going on to have a fantastic time and creating a gallery of pieces ultimately deemed worthy by my peers. Have you had any f u n n y / e m b a r ra s s i n g i n c i d e n t s w h i l s t d ra w i n g someone? To o m a n y t o m e n t i o n ! In the early days o f A l t o n To w e r s I

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I f y o u c o u l d d ra w anyone famous past or present who would it be and why? I don’t really have a m a s s i v e u r g e t o d ra w

trying to be anything else. If you could make 1 person disappear for good who would it be and why? Hard. I should probably say David Cameron or some other evil twisted despot, but honestly it would probably be Tom Cruise. The reasons are all personal, I just don’t like the man. What would your rider be if you were playing a huge gig? PS3 and Lord of the Rings Lego and a big TV (flatscreen optional), good coffee, maybe a nice back rub and some Thai food and a good banoffee pie for dessert...and whatever my mates are having...

INTERVIEW WITH VICTORIA DARBY Who are you? Victoria Claire Darby Where are you from? Newcastle Upon Tyne How long have you been performing? About 8 years, give or take. Do you always play solo or do you also play in a band? For the last four years I played in a band, Wide Eyed Order, which at its peak had 11 members (FULL ON). I always like to have someone with me when I play because it’s more fun, I’m usually with at least another guitarist. But it’s not unusual for me to do the odd open mic or fill in a last minute vacancy alone. Do you play covers or do you do your own material? I’ve been writing my own songs for nearly ten years, as long as I have owned a guitar really. To be honest, I first started writing songs because

I wasn’t good enough to play other peoples (or at least that’s what I thought). It’s only recently I’ve been covering other peoples tunes, but I do it in my own style. I have a country version of Madonna’s vogue that I am particularly proud of. Tell us 3 Random fact about yourself My childhood ambition was to draw for Walt Disney - then I grew up I love to devil stick I read tarot cards What has been your most memorable moment to date so far? Too hard to answer, there has been way to many. Probably headlining Over the Moon Festival...really don;t know about that tho. Who inspires you? People with an awesome sense of humour, too many to mention. Also anyone who is genuine and isn’t

Where would you like to gig the most? Red Square If you could travel back in time when would you travel back to and why? Thought about this A LOT. It would probably be to the first ever performance of Hamlet, it’s the first play I ever read and I just want to meet Shakespeare and see what the man was really like If you could play with anyone in the world, past or present who would it be and why? Eric Bibb, because he’s incredible in every way. I’d love to have jammed with George Harrison, and I would probably add Aretha Franklin, but I think I would be too star struck. What’s the most embarrassing thing you have ever done at a gig? Forgot the words to a song I wrote What advice would you give to anyone wanting to start up singing or playing in a band? Play what you love listening to, don’t let anyone try to tell you what you should be, and be sure you have a

laugh. Don’t take it seriously, and it won’t seriously take over you. But hey, what the fook do I know???? If you were not performing what would you be doing instead? Writing and illustrating, but I do that as well anyway. Where is your favourite place in the North east? My mams kitchen.

Where can people follow you/keep up to date with you? victoriadarby.bandcamp.com Photos at htt p : / / r u a r i d f i e l d p h o to g ra p hy. b l o g s p o t . co . u k / 2 0 1 3 / 0 2 / pathways-project-finalised-initial-shoot.html Video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8yya9qJ6lU Artwork http://www.redbubble.com/people/victoriadarby Blog at http://victoriadarby.blogspot.co.uk

What’s your aims for 2013? To be as happy as I can be really, music will play a massive role in that no doubt. I intend to release more solo stuff, work with as many musicians as I can meet, gig - rejoice - be merry. Why should people come and listen to you? I don’t know if I can answer that, I don’t suppose they should, but if they want to come I think they would have a very lovely time. I’ve been told that I sound like Janis Joplin and Tracey Chapman’s love child...and I write songs that I hope/want to believe both of those ladies would enjoy. I think people should come and see me just to see for themselves.

G ol f Event Welcome to NE Magazine, so David, how about you tell our readers a little bit about yourself? My name is David Thomas and I own DT58 Sports Management, (www. dt58sportsmanagement. co.uk) which is a Sports and Event Management Company dealing with the Sporting needs of Sports Clubs, Professional and Armature as well as organising and operating events for our corporate clients. As a ex professional sportsman, sports management was the obvious line of employment for myself after my playing career. After working for a Sports Management company for a number of years I decided to set up DT58 Sports and over the last few years the company has went from strength to Strength. I got involved with the National Victims Association over 5 years ago, as the founder of the charity being a family friend asked me to help him reignite the charities fundraising golf event and assist him organise this great day. Within 2 years I have transformed the Golf Events we have for the Charity from a small affair with around 40 people meeting at a local venue, playing 18 holes of golf and having a meal and presentation after to one of the North of England’s

biggest charity Golf Day’s. But the fun didn’t stop there, 2 years ago we decided to add a extra date to the Golf Events calendar, and in 2011 we held our first Singles Event @ Ramside Hall Golf Club, the events was such a success we decide to make it a permanent fixture naming it the NVA Northern Singles Golf Challenge, which this year is being held at our golfing home, Ramside Hall Golf Club on Friday 3rd May 2013 at £45 per player and if your a small or large business we will give you FREE of Charge a Tee Box, Fairway or Green to advertise your company if you supply the event with 4 or more players. For your fee

of £45 each of you will receive 18 holes of 3/4 Handicap Golf, a chance to WIN £20K worth of prizes including a Trip for TWO to the US Masters at Augusta National, Tea & Coffee on Arrival,

and Soup and Sandwiches after the Golf which we will also hold our Presentation. In 2012 we added a 3rd event to the Fundraising programme by adding the NVA Southern Singles Challenge, which we held in Northamptonshire and this year the event will be held at the same venue (date TBC) Over the last few years NVA Golf has grown bigger and bigger, we now have our own website www. nvagolfevents.co.uk were you can find all you need to know about our events. And finally the National Victims Associations main event this year will be at Ramside Hall Hotel & Golf Club on Friday 6th September 2013, at £300 per team of 4 and with sponsorship opportunities available this event aims to be the biggest in the North of England this year. for more details on this fabulous event checkout the website. So what’s all the buzz surrounding your Golf Event? The buzz surrounding our events is that we aim to make them the biggest and the best around, by not just raising much needed funds for this great charity but by giving people value for money for a day on the golf course. But the main focus for us is to raise the profile and make people aware of the work the team at NVA do for the victims of Murder and Manslaughter

So is Golf a big passion of yours? Golf is my massive passion of mine from playing, watching and working in and its a sport I’ve played for coming up 30 years and have been directly involved with the organisation and management of events for close to 15 years now, so to say a eat, sleep and play is a understatement. If you could have anyone taking part in your event who would it be and why? That’s a hard one, over the years I have admired a number of professional golfers, such as Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomery, Tiger Woods and Now Rory McLory, so I suppose that 4 ball would be the perfect team to grace our events. But to be completely honest I’m honoured to be supported by a number of everyday people from all walks of life that support our events and there the people that make doing what we do all worth while, because without the support of everyday people the events wouldn’t happen, so more people like that will be great. That sounds like a great event for a great cause, so how can people get involved with both the event or with donating to the charity? Firstly they can checkout the website www. nva g o l fe v e n t s . c o . u k or send me an email at nvagolfevents@ yahoo.co.uk which are the 2 easiest ways to finding information, once they have the information the require they can ask for a registration form which gives them all the info they need to support our great events.

And how challenging has it been to organise this kind of event? The events get harder every year to organise, and over time I have had the support from some fantastic people, too many to name them all, but without the help of my current events team, which are all like myself volunteers I couldn’t make the events possible, so a big thank you goes to Mr. David Hines, David is the Founder of the National Victims Association which he set up over 20 years ago, and a firm family friend; Mr. Gary Mather, Gary works for Barclays Bank and has been by my side with the organisation of the events from day one and a great friend and colleague; Mr. Harry Collinson, Harry owns Collinson Jewellers in Sunderland City Centre as well as the Family own the Pandora Shop in the Bridges Shopping Centre and also happens to be Gary’s Brother in law; and finally Miss Laura McDonald, Laura owns the European Golf Challenge and is a massive influence on golf in the North East of England and the rest of the UK, so a massive thank you goes to those people.

What else can we expect to see from you during 2013? Myself personally my company will be working on a number of events in the UK throughout the year, so watch out for the DT58 branding around the country, but for NVA Golf, we have a number of events this year and we need people to attend and support to make them a massive success. Where can people follow you and keep up to date with future events? You can follow me on LinkedIn and on Twitter were we have @NVAGolfEvents and @ DT58_Sport Is there anything you would like to add? yeah, if your reading this article there’s a chance you either play golf or you know someone that plays, so why not checkout the website and get the details, make contact with us and come along and support our charity. Everyone is welcome no matter how good or bad you are, and keep reading North East Online Magazine for further details on our forthcoming events.

I f y o u c o u l d d ra w anyone famous past or present who would it be and why? I don’t really have a m a s s i v e u r g e t o d ra w